Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama and the county seat for Jefferson County. The city grew significantly in the years after the Civil War and became an industrial center of the U.S. south. Today, it's a regional banking center and the home of the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Alabama Medical School.

In addition to the UAB Blazers college sports teams, Birmingham is the home of the Birmingham Barons AA minor league baseball team. The Barons play at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in nearby Hoover. With over 71,000 seats, Legion Field is the home of the UAB football team and the site of an annual bowl game (most recently named the "BBVA Compass Bowl").